Class War ~ Lyrics

Class War Goin’ On (in America)

When I open up my eyes and ears, and walk about,
A lot of things I see and hear, that ain’t much talked about.
(Seems) there’s a lot of people hurtin’, and they keep it quiet.
We hide it from ourselves, and just can’t see…

There’s a Class War goin’ on in America.
It’s a war on the workers and the poor, across this land.
They want to drive every one of us into the poorhouse—
What’s it for?
So they can pay us a pittance at the factory,
Pay us in potatoes on the farm,
So they can pay us in pennies at the Jailhouse.
If you’re working for a living—if you’re poor—
You’re living the Class War.

II. Now if you can’t find a job, they have a plan for you too:
To join the Army or Police…cracking heads in the streets of this land,
Or bombing the hell out of some poor country, thousands of miles from this shore—
What’s it for?
So they can make a killing on investments,
Puff up their profits from trade, [They got it made]
So they can multiply their winnings on Wall Street.
If you’re a cop or a soldier
You’re being used in the Class War.
If you’re a soldier for a living—
You’re just a pawn in the Class War.

III. There’s a Class War goin’ on in America.
It’s a war on the elders and the young, across this land.
They want to tear up and shred…every promise they made…to the people—
What’s it for?
So they can seize your hard-earned pension,
Your social security,
And leave the young generation on the breadline.
Will you just sit there and take it,
Or will you take a stand?
With your brothers and your sisters,
Take a stand in the Class War.

There’s a Class War goin’ on in America
There’s a Class War goin’ on in America

Are you working for a living—Are you poor? (Yes I am!)
Are you sick of them slamming the door? (In my face!)
Is this making you really pissed? (I’m pissed!)
At the greedy capitalists (The fat cats!)
Then you ought to be raising your fist
And take a side in the Class War.
The sun is rising on the Class War.
Be a soldier in the Class War.
’Cuz it’s a Class War.

No Way Out

The promise of opportunity,
They give you a drug called The Dream.
The fine words of politicians are not what they seem.

They promise us equality.
We need it and we want to believe
Their endless communicationdesigned to deceive.

Well you might ask why I say,
Does it have to be this way?
Can there be a better day?

But in the meantime
These are mean times.
We keep gettin’ in deeper
And here’s the Gatekeeper,
Tryin’ to tell me …

No pass, no ticket,
No way in.
No job, no money,
No way out.

I can see the game is rigged
They know the outcome in advance
They’ve made their selection, and we don’t have a chance

It’s woven into the fabric
Of the rich man’s world we inhabit
That’s why you have to be a bit of a maverick to survive

It’s built right into the system.
They got so many scams, you can list ’em.
And your plans, your dreams, you can kiss ’em goodbye.

But in the meantime
These are lean times.
Wekeep gettin’ in deeper
And here’s the Gatekeeper,
Tryin’ to tell me…

No pass, no ticket,
No way in.
No job, no money,
No way out.

Somebody’s Daughter

Somebody’s daughter died today
Somebody’s sweet daughter died today
A burst of red…way up in the sky
No one can tell you…exactly why
Ooh, but somebody’s sweet little daughter…died today.

The bride and groom are getting ready for their big day
All the families gather ‘round to celebrate
A burst of red, way up in the air
Scraps of metal everywhere
Their bodies, their hopes and dreams…blown away.

Who gave the order for the bombs to fall?
Who pushed the button on the wall?
Who bought the Senator’s vote to go to war?
What’s going on? We’ve seen it all before…

Who went on strike at the factory where they make the bombs?
What soldiers joined the mutinies in Vietnam?
Who threw the wrench in the machine of war?
We can stop the war…We’ve done it all before…

Somebody’s daughter is born today
Somebody’s sweet daughter is born today
A burst of new life…My oh my
A baby’s first big breath…A baby’s first big cry,
Ooh, and somebody’s sweet little daughter…is born today
Ooh, and somebody’s sweet little daughter…is born today

Lavalas

In Haiti when the rains come,
Drops of water in the mountain stream.
And all the mountain streams
Flow down to the river.
And when the river’s runnin’ high,
Flash flood on the plain,
And that flash flood has a name—Lavalas!

He was elected for five years .
It was a landslide, no more tears.
He was elected for five years,
He was the people’s president—Aristide.

He was kidnapped in the middle of the night,
Stole him away on a trans-Atlantic flight,
Uncle Sam’s guns under cover of night.
He was the people’s president—Aristide.

In Haiti when the rains come,
Drops of water in the mountain stream.
And all the mountain streams
Flow down to the river.
It is the river wide,
It is the raging flood
That will seize back the power—Lavalas!

It was the death squads and the CIA
In a coup d’etat on Leap Year’s Day.
It was France and the USA
That kidnapped democracy, stole it away.

It is the power of the people of Haiti.
This is the hour and we’re tired of waiting.
It is the power of the people of Haiti
That will throw out the evil bourgeoisie,
Like they threw out the armies of Napoleon,
Like they threw out the Tonton Macoutes,
And Baby Doc.

There’s those who turn justice into bitterness
And cast righteousness to the ground.
Let justice roll down like the waters
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream

It is the river wide,
It is the raging flood
That will seize back the power—Lavalas!
And that flash flood has a name—Lavalas!

You’ve made an Impression on Me

All these distractions
Come in to my life, distracting me.
All these inventions
Come into my head, inspiring me.
You can say I’m impressionable.
It might even be true
But you’ve made an impression on me,
An indelible imprint on my life.
You’ve made an impression on me,
I can’t forget you

People come and go,
Come in to my life and then go out.
Just like the ocean,
The tide comes in and the tide goes out.
I can say it’s unquestionable
That it’s different with you.
You’ve made an impression on me,
Anticipation, dancing so free.
You’ve made an impression on me,
I can’t forget you

When your face lights up
It sends a ray of sunshine my way.
Whether I’m tied down, or hard at work
Or flying down the highway,
I think about you….yes I do…

Time is all we have,
How do we spend it in this life?
Time is all we have,
How we invent it, we decide.
You’re so irrepressible,
Every moment seems new.
You’ve made an impression on me,
Your melody keeps running through my head.
You’ve made an impression on me
I can’t forget you.

When your smile lights up
It says to me that all is right
Whether I’m fast asleep, or wide awake
Running at the speed of light
I think about you….ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh…

Two ships passing in the night,
But I don’t want us to be apart.
I was alone, drifting aimlessly,
You threw a lifeline to my heart
You’ve made an impression on me
I can’t forget you.

Let the Little Yellow School Bus Go

Chorus:
Let the little yellow school bus go,
Down to Cuba, let the people know
The embargo is a crime, and now is the time
To let the little yellow school bus go.

From New Hampshire to the Empire State,
From Seattle to the Golden Gate,
They gathered at the churches on a Saturday morn,
To hit the road and celebrate.

The people’s caravan traveled the land
And rendezvous’d at the Rio Grande,
Humanitarian cargo, smashing the embargo.
Brother, can you lend a hand

Behind a fence on a dusty street,
The hunger strikers got nothing to eat
The bus was seized, by the border police,
We took a stand in the Texas heat.

Chorus

For twenty-three days and nights
Without a scrap of food in sight.
Nine brave souls, very clear in their goals,
Determined to win this fight.

So they let the yellow school bus go
From Laredo down to Tampico
Then the righteous caravana took the boat to Havana
And said goodbye to Mexico.

They made a promise and they took a vow
To get the cargo into Cuba somehow.
Uncle Sam throws his weight around, the Cold War has stayed around
Sixty-six years and now,

We gotta stop, stop the blockade of Cuba,
Stop, stop the blockade of Cuba,
Stop, stop the blockade of Cuba.
Let the little yellow school bus go.

Chorus

The People’s Troubadour (For Jon Fromer)

All the memories, many memories
Of our comrade troubadour.
When it’s struggle time, on the picket line
Of the folks he’s singing for.

We remember our dear comrade,
For his soul is rested now.
A lifetime in the trenches
With his hand on freedom’s plow.

Chorus:
Open up the door of your heart,
You can hear him from afar,
With his full throated voice
And his thundering guitar.
Everybody join in the chorus
And let your spirit soar.
Sing along with our very own
People’s troubadour.

So much feeling for the people,
All the things they’re going through.
Singing with the children, the little children
Helps us find our way anew.

Hear the traveling freedom singer
Sing of sorrows, sing of joys,
All the stories of the people.
Still today I hear his voice.

Chorus

Young People Rising

See the young people rising,
Rise up to their feet.
See the young people crying,
Crying out on the street.

Don’t try to change them,
They’ve just seen the light.
Don’t try to tame them,
They’ve just begun to fight.

It’s your sons and your daughters
Out there on the street.
They’re marching for justice,
Why should they get beat?

Don’t try to stop them,
They’ve made their choice.
Don’t try to co-opt them.
Listen—you can hear their voice

Send your cops and your lawyers
To write their reports.
Send your spies and your agents
To seize and deport.

See the young people gathering,
They’re raising their tents.
Then you come and you beat them
And put up your fence.

A Change is Gonna Come

I was born by the river
In a little tent,
And just like the river
I been running ever since.

Chorus:
It’s been a long time, it’s been a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come.

Sometimes your spirit gets shaken
When there’s no work to be found,
Or when the blue heat walks the street
And strikes a young life to the ground.

Chorus

When I show up for work in the morning,
Longer day, shorter dollar.
With my brothers and my sisters,
It just makes me want to holler.
There’s a sleeping giant stirring, nobody knows how strong.
That’s why I believe—it won’t be long

I’ve been lost in the darkness
But I can see the dawn,
And my faith in our people

Chorus

When I come home in the evening,
On the porch in my neighborhood,
With my old friends and my neighbors,
They make me feel so good.
I can see it in their eyes, and hear it in their song.
That’s when I know—it won’t be long.

I was raised by the river
In a little shack,
And just like the river
You know I won’t be turning back.